Reported by: Sun Yingwei, Pan Qi, Yan Rui
Translated by: Zhang Guangju
Edited by: Garrick Jones
Date: March 24, 2017
On March 23, an article named What makes the “Space Cradle”? --- Practical Type Oriented Talents Cultivation was produced by Xinhua News Agency about HIT. The article took the micro-nano satellite team and the School of Aeronautics as an example to report our university’s space talents cultivation system, features and methods. The report was as follows:
Xinhua News Agency, Harbin branch, March 23
What makes the Space Cradle”?
Practical Type Oriented Talents Cultivation
Reporters: Sun Yingwei, Pan Qi, Yan Rui
Wei Mingchuan, a Ph. D student of the School of Aeronautics of HIT, is very exited, for the micro-nano satellite “Lilac One” which was developed independently by his team has entered into space. It is the second micro-nano satellite that was designed by his team.
Why are these “satellite young men” able gain such achievements? Our reporters learn that the School of Aeronautics has become the cradle of China’s space talents through methods like setting interdisciplinary branch of science, cultivating the ability of engineering and a strict daily management system.
A group of “Star Fans”
“When I was a freshman, I joined our university’s radio club with a few friends, and in 2010, I came up with the idea of making little satellites.” Wei Mingchuan, the team chief designer and management and control principal, said.
In 2011, Wang Feng, a teacher of the School of Aeronautics, was abroad as a visiting scholar, and heard that the EU had put forward a project named “QB50”, which intended to use 50 cubic satellites to form a network and welcomed the participation of universities from all countries. Then he told the news to Cao Xibin, the Dean of the school of Aeronautics, who approved his suggestion of forming a student team to participate.
In 2012, China’s first satellite team was founded in HIT. In this team, students independently designed, developed, debugged the making of a micro-nano satellite. The university provided talent, materials and funds for the research and therefore, the micro-nano satellite “Lilac One” came into being.
Wei Mingchuan liked to explore new things when he was a child. Now, with the support of the university’s satellite technological research institute, he and over 40 undergraduate students, graduate students and Ph. D students, who are from eight different disciplines like the science and technology, mechanics, computer technology, control engineering, etc. form a “Mixed Dream Team”.
When “Lilac One” was in R&D, one scientific research project was launched, and supported by the university, Wei Mingchuan’s team officially delivered their proposals for the project, thus, “Lilac Two” was born and was launched successfully in September 2015.
Industry- Academia- Research paves for the “Satellite Road”
The school of Aeronautics combines teaching and practice in its talent cultivation: first is to the concept of “Great Space” in discipline setting and building platforms for inter-discipline; second, to cultivate students’ engineering capability, and encourage them to learn, practice and make breakthroughs in their scientific practice.
According to Meng Songhe, the executive vice dean of the school of Aeronautics, the school has not only set up first-level disciplines like aerospace science and technology and mechanics, but other close-related disciplines like control science and technology, optical engineering, etc.
“Our subject is a object one. The research process of the object will related to many disciplines, and this requires us to cultivate our students ability to detect scientific problems in engineering”, said Zhao Yang, a teacher of aerospace science and technology. He added that students will be taken to participate in the R&D of manned space flight robot arm dynamics, thus theories and practice can be better combined.
In addition, the school also pays attention to the cultivation of students capability in engineering and implemented the “dual mentor” system among graduate students: one mentor in teaching and one in the research center.
“My Ph. D students are often transferred to participate in project research. Some doctoral research topics are similar with to states’ projects, therefore when my students graduate, they will work directly in ministries or science and technological institutes.” Meng Songhe said. These institutes trust HIT student’s practice abilities and believe that they can undertake tasks right after their graduation.
"Strict specifications" help to cultivate more "satellite fans"
Wei Mingchuan is very mature, and has a clear request and planning for his life and learning. He believes that engaging in scientific research work makes him more cautious than his peers, and the school’s strict system and the space spirit makes him dare not to have a slightest relaxation.
Rigorous scientific research style is also applied by HIT in its daily management on students. The class teacher system, discipline construction group total control system, process elimination mechanism, three psychological support mechanism and other institutions are important starting points of the Academy of Astronautics.
Since 2012, HIT established a system of "process elimination mechanism", in which students with accumulative failed course credits of more than 20 will be asked to drop out. "When I was in HIT, I was not hard enough, and did not pay attention to the elimination mechanism. I did not expect to be removed." As a sophomore student, in Liaoning, Li studies at a university in Liaoning currently, and says that this experience made him quite alarmed, although he dropped out, he still regards himself as a half student of HIT.
Thanks to its rigorous and scientific education system, School of Aerospace of HIT has left a long name roll in China's space history. During the "12th Five- Year Plan", HIT has delivered over 2000 graduates to China's space industry.
